Monday, November 1, 2010

How much is enough?

Here is what I have against capitalism: it gives greed the nod of approval. (Let the buyer beware. Never give a sucker an even break. If they're dumb enough to buy that, too bad for them. I have more because I deserve it; I'm smarter, I'm better and I deserve it. ) Greed is not okay, just like immorality is not okay and genocide is not okay. It is not God's way and as the saying goes: as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. God's way is that you don't take more than you need so that everyone has enough. If you happen to have more than everyone else you share with those who don't have enough. You use your strength to help those who are weaker than you are. You comfort those who mourn and be a presence to those who are dying. You rejoice with those who are rejoicing.
You remember, the moral standards we grew up with and which seem to have been tossed aside in the name of 'do your own thing' and 'it's my body, I'll do what I want with it'. Holy Mother of God! (I'm ranting, I realize it.) Here is what set me off.
Last night, as the kids came by Audra's house for Trick-or-Treats, we were having a ball, talking with the kids, exclaiming over their costumes, handing out candy, the usual stuff. Everything was going fine. Near the end of the evening there was a long lull and Audra went into the baby's room to put him to sleep, leaving me to hand out the goodies. Three kids came to the door with their bags out and I put in the candy and then I noticed the bag. It was a pillowcase with an interesting design, and one which I had seen earlier in the evening. I simply asked the child if he had been by our house before and he said yes and dragged his pillowcase away. The case was a third full of candy, way too much for anyone to ever have in one bag. His parents, like the parents all evening, were standing out by the curb, watching.
His parents knew he had been by before and they let him come back up and get more candy. I'm sorry, am I the only one who thinks there is something wrong here? I guess I am an innocent, or naive, but I thought the rules for Trick-or-Treating were 'go to each house once and go then home'. I am blown completely away by this. To me this is the beginning of that black monster, greed, pure and simple.

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What I am trying to do here.

Stories of life lived on the mixed grass prairie in Northwest Oklahoma, the lessons gleaned from creation and news of family and friends. There may be poems, if you're lucky. Sometimes I can be a bit preachy, not always, but if I feel it necessary.